Re: East Broad Top Preservation Association has a $600,000 Mortgage due in April 2014

I ran myself through the philosophical grinder on this one at the age of 42 and came to the realization that I lived in a state of self-induced over-extended "animation". In other words, expensive interests/hobbies and an education/career/life choices that did not come close to supporting them. .... I know, hard to believe, isn't it ?

This sudden "awakening" got me to thinking about life beyond my own "here and now" and how one needs to have plans and knowledge of how we can apply ourselves if we wish to be a success (as we each define it) I also realized that at 42, I was half way to 84 (simple math) and if I were to live so long, I was WELL PAST the typical "productive years" of most adult males. Not a good time to finally be getting into the game, but better late than never at all, right ? more ...

So, I set my sights on stuff I felt important and developed a priority list. 10 years on, I feel I have done much better than my previously "aimless" existence, but feel I am up against my age and the closing door of mortality to be the "sparkling success" that might have been possible if I had the guidance/wisdom to see all of this at 18 or 21.

Which brings me back to this lot ...

I don't know where the Uncle Bobs and Ashby's were in life a la 1960 or 70 to make the comparison, but as I see the current state of things like the EBT, I think about discipline and training and young, energetic Marines getting out there and "kicking ass" as dedicated steam oil dreamers and see a way to make this work that isn't being worked. Instead, we collectively moan and groan and look to committee meetings and fund drives rather than personally taking on "the giant" as our cause and slaying the proverbial dragon. I hear (read) the anguished sentiments of many who have the years in them, and the youthful advantage to make that dedicated run, but no one seems to make the connection of the "back game".

Now, to be fair, I did not see the forest for the trees until I was 42, and maybe that just comes with age ??? But I know from my own experience that my parents were clueless, offered no guidance, and never once showed me the connection between education, career, income, and the life choices we make and gain by NOT living hand-to-mouth. In other words, I think I would have gone a LOT further by now if I started with a vision at 21 instead of 42.

So, what to do ? Do we just go on dealing with crisis after crisis as life throws them at us, or do we dig in, take cover, get a plan together in terms of how to attack this problem ? Hey 21-year-old guy ? Just how badly do you want to save the EBT ? Are you willing to give it all, make it your life, die for the cause ? Are you willing to be a hero ? Because being a hero is hard work. LOTS of hard work with lots of uphill battles and more ingrates than gratefuls, kapische ?

How do we motivate our steam oil dreamers to build careers that may not have anything to do with railroad preservation besides create a reliable revenue stream to make it happen ? Selling podiums or peach farming to fund a completely unrelated RR preservation instead the hands-on approach that still cries out for the serious benefactor. We have plenty of hands-on guys. What we need to grow are benefactors ! Just my opinion, but this so-called "hobby" needs a major renovation in the way we look at moving mountains.

Personally, I don't know any young cubs to coach, but boy if I did, and they were willing, ...